Wakefield airmen who took part in World War 2 Dambuster Raid to be commemorated

Speeches will be made and wreaths laid to honour Operation Chastise airmen, Sergeant Wilfred Ibbotson, Flight Sergeant William Hatton and Pilot Officer Cyril Anderson on Saturday, May 20 at 10.45am at Wakefield War Memorial, beside County Hall.

Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on the night of 16/17 May 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command - more commonly known as the Dambusters’ Raid.

Special ‘bouncing bombs’ developed by Barnes Wallace were used to breach the dams and they caused catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and the villages in the Eder valley.

Two hydroelectric power stations were destroyed, and several factories and mines were also damaged and destroyed, limiting the German war effort. The RAF lost 53 aircrew killed and three captured, with eight aircraft destroyed.

Sqt Wilfred Ibbotson (Rear Gunner on ED887 AJ-A) was born in Netherton and was lost on the return flight from the Dams Raid, where they attacked the Mohne Dam, he along with the crew now rest in Bergen General Cemetery in Germany.

Flight Sgt William Hatton (Flight Engineer on ED906 AJ-J) born in Wakefield, attacked the Mohne Dam and returned safely, sadly losing his life on September 14 1943.

Hatton took off from RAF Coningsby on 617 Squadron’s first major operation since the Dams Raid. When their aircraft suffered its final crash, it sank with the bodies of all the crew except the pilot, so he has no known grave.

William Hatton is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

And Pilot Officer Cyril Anderson (Promoted to Pilot Officer 16 April 43 Gazetted June 43) (Pilot ED924 AJ-Y) born in Wakefield - Primary target Deimel Dam redirected to the Sorpe Dam, flak damage to rear guns making them unserviceable, with fog and mist on route at 3.15 and unable to pinpoint the Sorpe Dam they returned to Scampton with Upkeep still on board.

They returned to RAF Fiskerton and 49 Squadron and continued with operations until September 23 1943 on a raid to Mannheim, where on the return leg they were picked-up by night fighter, Lt Heinz Grimm using Schrager Musik the aircraft EA-D ED702 crashed near Offenbach an Der Queich with the loss of all the crew.

They all now rest in Rheinberg Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

Wakefield Council Armed Forces Champion, Coun Steve Vickers, said: “We will be honouring the contribution of the three airmen from our district, who bravely fought for the freedom of our nation in these crucial air raids. We welcome people to join us for this public event.”

Coun Denise Jeffery Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “Eighty years on we owe so much to our armed forces, and it is right that we’ll be remembering the part our airmen played in one of the most momentous periods of World War II.”

Pilot Officer Cyril Anderson’s great nephew, Dom Howard, who has extensively researched his great uncle’s military services, will be attending the event.

He said: “People may not realise that Wakefield provided three aircrew for Operation Chastise. I will be proud to be at the ceremony in the city to honour all their memories.”

The family of Sergeant Wilfred Ibbotson will also be attending the event and said: “We are delighted that Wilfred has been remembered as part of these celebrations, and hope that this will bring his story to life for a new audience. For us, he has always been and always will be, remembered with love.”

Bill Castle, the nephew of Flight Sergeant William Hatton, will return to Wakefield for the event.

He said: “It is a privilege and a great honour to come back to Wakefield, where I was born, to represent my family and to remember the bravery of my ‘Uncle Bill’ Flight Sergeant William Hatton of 617 squadron.

"His sacrifice helped to bring peace and freedom to our country and to the allied countries.”